I Can't
by M14Mouse
Summary: Tai has doubts about his leadership abilities. A strange digimon set him straight. Season 1


Title: I Can't.....I Can  
Author: M14Mouse  
Type: Digimon  
Summary: Tai had doubts about himself and his leadership abilities. A strange digimon comes to set him straight.  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I do own Fatemon.  
Author's Note: I wrote this fic a while back. I never had a chance to finish it. But now it is finish. This is back in season one. This is my first Digimon fic.

Tai was running through a forest. The fog was thick and heavy. The air was damp and wet. Sweat rolled down his face. He didn't know why or from what. He had a dreadful  
feeling. What happened? Why was he running? Where is everyone? Finally, he fell over  
something. Slowly, Tai got to his feet. He looks like he was in a small clearing.

A figure came out of the fog. It is Mimi.

"Tai, why are you running? What are you afraid?" Mimi said.

"Don't know why I am running?" He said. Another figure came from behind Mimi. It was Sora.

"Are you afraid of us? Are you afraid you have become a heartless fool?" Sora said.

I say nothing. I remembered the incident with Whalemon. Have I become heartless? Have I become that cold?

"I.... I..."

East end of the clearing, another figure appears. It was T.K.

"He cares but only for the mission. He doesn't even care about his digimon," T.K said.

"No, I do care for Agumon. I didn't know that was going to happen." He said in a panic

"Isn't that so? How many times have we rushed to fight because of your mistakes? How many times have you pushed us to our limits?" Joe said as he appeared behind T.K.

"I don't know," He said softly. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He felt his  
heart break.

"Did you ever care about the rest of us? You pushed us so hard that Kari got sick. You couldn't ever take care of your sister." Izzy said as appeared behind me.

"You are wrong. I do care for Kari. I care for all of you" He said angrily.

"Lies. Why do you think I left?" Matt said as look down at him.

"NO, that is a lie. I would never to do that," He screamed.

Everyone and everything vanished.

A figure appeared in from of him. The figure was covered in a long, black cloak but he could see the white hair peeking out from behind the cloak. The figure was holding a long wooden staff and gem was on top of it.

"Fate," The figure said as the staff hit the ground.

A flash of light blinded him. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a desert. Tai looked around the desert. A giant storm seemed to appear on the horizon. He tried to look around for cover but there was none. Quickly, the terrible storm ran across him and the desert. The wind threw Tai back to his knees. The winds blew dust and sand into his eyes. Sand cut into his clothes and skin. Slowly, Tai tried to move across the desert, but the winds grew stronger with every move he made.

Finally, he could not move anymore. He rested his head into a sand bank. He was so tired. He wanted to sleep and forget. A dark shadow looms over him. Tai looked up and only saw the figure's silver eyes. He felt if the stranger's eyes were cutting into his soul.

"Fate has chosen you. Why do you fight it?" The figure said as the storm grew stronger.

"Who are you? What are you?" He said as the storm prevented him from seeing the figure.

"You will know soon enough."

He closed his eyes for a brief second then opened them to a giant statue of himself. The statue stood proud but the eyes were so sad. The statue's sad look bore down into him. The statue began to cry. As the statue cried, it began to crumble into dust. He stood in shock as he watched crumble to dust. The wind blew the dust upward and started to form that figure again.

"Tai, Bearer of the Mark of Courage, The Leader of the Digidestied, have you forgotten how important you are?" The figure said softly. "

Who are you? What is this game you are trying to play?" Tai said as he looks at the stranger.

"My name is Fatemon. I am not one to play any game. I merely show the truth." Fatemon said softly as it bowed to him. He snored at Fatemon.

"I am a failure. Matt left the group proved it." Tai says as he wrapped his arms around his legs.

Her staff hits the ground again. A flash of bright light surrounded them. Tai appeared to be in the dark forest. A strange mist light seemed to shining thought the trees. She seemed have vanished but her voice still echo.

"Failure is always part of life . . . of fate. Every evil digimon wish to conquer would have succeeded." Fatemon's voice said.

"Okay. Okay. I get your point. You can't disprove the facts. That I am not suppose to be the leader. Everyone is falling apart. Kari got sick . . . twice. Joe and Mimi trusted me as much as a stone would. Matt would love to see me fail. Well, it is too late. I have," He shouted out of into the forest. Tai pounded his fist into the ground in angry and perhaps, sadness as well. His voice echoed through the forest.

Another flash of light danced across his eyes. He appeared on what look like a battlefield. She stood next to him. Her cloak almost made her look like death.

"Do you recall this place?" She said.

"No," He said as he shook his head.

"This is the Mystic Mountain," She said as she looked down at him.

"But this isn't possible. We were here and it never looked like this."

"Oh, but it was possible without you."

Silence full the conversation between them. He looked around at the black scarred ground. The sky was dull and cloudy. The smell of death and blood was in the air. Tai's eyes caught something on the ground. It was glowing dully out of the ground. His feet carried him over to the spot. He kneed down to the ground and slowly dug away the dirt. Tai's mouth dropped.

It was one of the broken symbol of Hope. "

In a thousand ways, this scene could have happen. A thousand times, their deaths could have happen. Thousands What if's and Could be's play out in many ways. All without you" She said. Tai's hand ran down the mark of Light.

"But....But . . . it didn't because I was here," He said as his hands wrapped tightly around the crest of Hope.

"Courage is foundation for everything. It takes courage to forge bonds of friendship where it is so easy to be alone. It takes courage to seek love and serenity where hate can be so much easier. It takes courage to seek knowledge where stupidity can give one comfort. Courage to be reliable when it is easy to fall thought on promise. It takes courage to seek light and hope where it easier to seek the darkness and depression," She said as she kneeled in front of him.

"But without love, light, hope, friendship, knowledge, love, and serenity neither can be courage stands." She said.

Tears run down his face. He was being such a cry baby today. No, perhaps, it was the rain that was falling from the heavens. Perhaps, it was both.

"But . . . " He said as tears choke his voice.

"Your burden is heavy. You will have doubts and worries. You will have fears and you will be angry from them. You must sleep now, Bearer of Courage," She said softly. His eyes grew heavily as he fights to keep them open. "

Will we win, Fatemon?" He asked sleepily.

"Fate can't even answer that one." She said as Tai fell onto the ground.

"Each one that will bear the mark of courage will remember yours, Tai. Others remember the war you fought but none will know about the war within you. Each will remember the first . . . the first leader. First of many who will walk in the steps of fate."

Her words echoed as he drifted off to sleep.

*********Digidestined Campsite*************

He slept on the hard ground as his digimon slept next to his feet. The others didn't know of his dreams or perhaps, travels. No mark bare his skin but one. It looks like a small birthmark but if you look closer it was a single flame. Flame for Courage. Flame for the future.

The End.


End file.
